UK Household Spending Hits A Low

Britain’s economy is not as stable as some commentators would like to have us think. House hold spending - a useful indicator of the state of the economy- is scraping the lowest rate for two years.

Understandably, people just don’t want to hit the high street when their most basic expenses such as gas and electricity are shooting through the roof.

It is doubtful that consumer spending is going to be revived by creating a shopping Tsar. David Cameron’s latest gimmick of placing a television savvy celebrity in a position of governmental responsibly is worrying.

Mary Portas may be nicknamed the “Queen of Shops” but I hardly think that tinkering with a few window displays will mend our broken economy.

What is next? Nick Clegg gets “Jimmy” of “Jimmy’s Farm” fame (Heard of it?) to head up the United Nations World Food Programme?

The mind boggles.

Current Generation Don’t Understand The Meaning Of Money

Will the current generation of university graduates ever be financially independent? Worryingly, many commentators think not.
The current generation of graduates have got so used to the financial support of their parents that they could not do without it.

Where financial support ended at employment for the previous generation, now children expect their salaries to be topped up by their parents.

Research carried out recently has shown that children, far from becoming less of a drain on their parents’ resources on leaving school become even more of a financial millstone.

In the current economic climate many parents’ finances are already squeezed to bursting point yet they still feel the duty to help their children out.

The generation labelled the “coping generation” has spawned a generation of takers. The question is when do parents say no?

It appears that parents set themselves no boundaries when it comes to providing for their children, they will even push themselves into debt.

University Fees – The Price Of A Good Education

Universities can now charge a maximum of £9,000 per year. Although universities cannot exceed this limit there are other factors that need to be taken into account when assessing how much a university education now costs.

Very few universities provide accommodation for their students all the way through university. If you want to study in central London you have to take the price of renting into account.

Students attending the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) will have to suffer the most expensive living costs and education combined. It is estimated that three years studying at LSE will cost £52,319.

Both second and third place are taken by other London universities.

Cambridge pips Oxford to the post in terms of expense: Three years in the fens will cost just shy of £50,000.

If you want to go to university you need to have a good job lined up for after graduation.

Energy Bills Will Continue To Rise This Summer

The past few months may have been scorchers but this will not stop your energy bills rising. Both oil and gas prices have steadily risen over the past year.

Crude oil prices have risen due to worries about supplies caused by the Arab Spring. Rising crude prices mean inevitably mean rising energy bills.

Average energy bills are now almost £200 more than they were three years ago.

In order to find the best deal for your utility bills do some research, it really pays off. Use price comparison websites to get money off.

Rising utilities bills will hit families with lower incomes who will already be feeling the pinch. One commentator said that if things carry on this way then the government will need to provide some sort of subsidy or relief for lower income families.

Our advice is, keep the heating down.